Removable protecting-cap for knitting-needles and the like



J. MOSSMAN;

REMOVABLE PROTECTIVE CAP EOR KNITTING NEEDLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-9. 191s.

1,376,964. P n d y 3,1921;-

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UNITED stares; "Prism QEFI-Q -I AMEs MOSSMAN, or crncnvnnrrforno.

REMOVABLE rnornorrno cjnr non a mnemenms AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 9, 1 918. J Serial No. 261,861.

Toall cvhom c't may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES MOSSMAN, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati,in the county of Hamilton and'State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain newand useful Improvement in Removable Protecting-Caps for Knitting-Needlesand thelike, of which the following is a specification.

This'inventio'n relates to point protectors or guard-caps forknitting-needles, pencils, hat-pins and the like, and comprehendingthereunder single-point celluloid sweateriiee'dles as well asdouble-point steel hosieryneedles, and the prime object thereof is toprovide a device of said character, in either single or multiple form tosuit the purpose desired, that will protect not'only the point ofthe'needle when not in knitting use but, also, hold the needle in placeagainst accidental removal or dislodgment from the yarn in the partlymade-up or unfinished article, to otherwisecause lost stitches, at thetime when the knitting operation is not going on, or when the saidunfinished article is being handled or while laid away, so that the workwill not be disturbed or upset at the point where laid by ordiscontinued, and, also, when used as a hat-pin point protector it willprevent the pin from accidental withdrawal or loss, or the point comingin damaging and painful contact with the fingers of the wearer or withother persons or objects, especially with the eyes or other like vitalparts of those near the hat wearer, or when the pins are put away invases, jars, boxes or elsewhere out of active use. The device is stillfurther useful in protecting the point of the knitting-needle frombending or wearing contact when not in use, which is quite an importantfeature in preserving intact the desired points suited to the many usesof the device;

Thedetails of structure of the protectorcap will be fully hereinafterdescribed in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a plan view of the finished knitting-needleprotector-cap structure embodying my invention herein, it being shown inmultiple adapted to the customary series or set of four double-pointedneedles that are used ordinarily in the knitting of hosiery, netting andthe like;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal section taken across the device, on thedotted-line 2, 2, of Fig. 1,

. Patented Ma 3, 192i.

but including a series or, set of needles in place therei' I a Fig; 3, alongitudinal cross-section 'of'o-ne of my needle 'protectorecap units,showing protected place therein; 7 Fig. 4, a side elevation of a singleunit protector-cap especially adapted to knitted the point of aknitting-ne dh n sweater work,,showing-'a needle with its point inprotected place therein,

Flg. 5, a'diagram of the blankstrip from which the multiple form of myprotectorfcap device herein is struck-up and made;

and- I Fig. '6, a sectional view, similar to Fig. 3,

but of a modification containing a rubber or like cushioned lining inthecavity for relceiving and protecting the point"o f the needle, andpreventing its shifting 1 or slip" ping from place within its seat,theneedle, however, being omitted in this View.

7 indicates a sweater knitting-needle usually made of celluloidand-having a blunt head 8 at one end, with a medium point 9 at itsopposite end, Fig. 4 showing it in engagement; with stitches 10 of thework 11,

the latter being but a fragment of theprogressing sweater fabric.

12 indicates the preferred form of metal strip or blank from'which mydevice herein in multiple is made. tangular form and has rows of openkeyhole shape slots 13 at its opposite ends and a transverse row ofcavities or circular recesses 14 made in the center of the blank, asbest shown in Fig. 5. This blank is bent over centrally into thefinished protectorcap product that has a resilient bow ligament orcentral portion 15 and integral clamping-arms 16, the latter being underThis strip is of'recspring-tension imparted by said resilientbow-ligament.

The clamping-arms 16 are in associated pairs that duly register alongthe multiple form of device seen in Figs. land 2 and are thereby adaptedto engage the pointed ends of four needles used in knitting hosiery,

such, more particularly, as mens socks. If

needles with both ends pointed-be used, a multiple device such as thatseen in Figs. 1 and 2 is applied to the opposite ends of the said fourneedles when collectively brought together and'thus the needle pointsthemselves, the person of the'user, the container bag or workreceptacle, and surrounding objects are all protected simultaneously,

7 place in the work where left off in the progress thereof.

The outer ends of the clamping-arms 16 are made concavo-convex, bestshown in Fig. 2, so as to snugly engage the round surface of theneedles, and it "will be further seen, in both Figs. 8 and 6, that theextreme outer ends or said clamping-arms are flared outwardly at 17 tomore readily guide the points of the needles into place between saidclamping-arms, the latter exerting the desired frictional spring-tensionon the me dles and preventingthe accidental dislodgment of theprotector-caps when in use.

The cavities or depressions 14 serve as seats for the needle points andordinarily prevent the latter shifting laterally when the caps are inplace for protector use. To still further prevent the accidentalshifting of the needle oints from the seats 14 I provide the springbow-portion-15 of the respective protector-caps with a washer or lining18 of rubber or the like, an opening 19 being made in such washer forthe entrance of the needle point in seating the latter in the cavity 14without danger of bending or' blunting or I other ordinaryinjury in suchseating. The

said opening 19 is preferably made tapered, as best shown in Fig. 6, forfacilitating the said entrance ofthe needle point into seating place inthe cavity 14. The washer is best held in place in the bow-portion of pthe protector-cap by means of cement to prevent ordinary dislodgment. n

I claim A point-protecting device or a protectorcap for knitting-needlescomprising a pair of arms having resilient clamping-j aws the latterconcavo-convex in cross-section and also having outwardly-flared outerends, an imperforate spring bow-portion integrallyconnecting the innerends of said arms under resilient tension, a central outwardlyextendingsocket provided in the said spring bow-portion and adapted to seat-theknitting-needle point, and a resilient lining provided in said socketedbow-portion and hav-

